Washington State does not have a true 7-footer to plug into the middle, and David Riley is fine with that. The Cougars’ third-year coach is building his center rotation around activity, pressure and effort rather than size alone.
That means redshirt junior Ladji Dembele and freshmen Mohamed Sankhe and Dominik Robinson will be asked to move, screen, rebound and make life uncomfortable for opposing big men. Riley made the approach clear.
“We don’t necessarily have positional size at center,” Riley said. “We are not going to do it above the rim with rim protection.
We are to do it by being out there early and hitting guys. They have to feel us early.”
Dembele looks like the safest bet to start. His two seasons at Iowa included 65 Big Ten games and 21 starts at center, giving him the kind of experience that stands out on a roster still sorting out its frontcourt.
Riley values the defensive edge he brings, especially against bigger low-post players, and also likes the way his quickness can bother slower opponents inside. At Iowa as a freshman in 2023-24, Dembele was named the team’s co-defensive player of the year.
On offense, Dembele is free to take open 3-pointers, but Washington State does not expect him to turn into a major face-up scorer. His value is more likely to come in the dirty work: setting screens, crashing the offensive glass and helping create cleaner looks for the team’s shot-makers.
Sankhe arrives with a different background. Born in Senegal, he is making his first run in organized basketball in the United States after playing last season in France’s second-tier “French Pro B” league. He is raw, but the Cougars see upside in his frame, his feel around the basket and the passing touch that could make him useful whether he is backing up Dembele or sharing the floor with him.
Robinson brings the local angle. The in-state product from Graham-Kapowsin High School spent a half-season on the bench at Rainier Beach, and he was originally viewed as a developmental piece for this year.
But his athletic burst and ability to score with his back to the basket have pushed him into a much bigger role in the conversation. Riley would not rule out Robinson becoming the backup center, and over time he could even work his way into an occasional start if his growth continues.
Down the road, double-double potential is in the mix.
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